Sharing USB key by multiple virtual machines located at different hosts

Abstract

A system for sharing a USB Key by multiple virtual machines located at different hosts including at least two virtual machine managers, each virtual machine manager including a virtual machine transceiver module which is configured to receive a request for accessing a USB Key from a virtual machine within its host; a storage module which is configured to store an association relationship between a USB Key and the virtual machine authenticated by the USB Key; a verification module which is configured to, in response to judging that the virtual machine of the received request can access the USB Key, transmit the request for accessing the USB Key to a USB Key transceiver module of a virtual machine manager of the host where the USB Key is located; and a USB Key transceiver module which is configured to receive a request for accessing a USB Key, and to transmit an access request to a connected USB Key.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer system for sharing a USB Key by a plurality of virtual machines located at different hosts, the computer system comprising:
 a memory; and 
 a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the computer system is configured to perform a method, said method comprising:
 receiving, by a first virtual machine manager located within a first host, a request for accessing a USB Key from a virtual machine within the first host, wherein an association relationship between at least one USB Key and one or more virtual machines authenticated by the at least one USB Key is stored in the first virtual machine manager; and 
 based on determining that the virtual machine requesting access to the USB key can access the USB Key, transmitting, by the first virtual machine manager, the request for accessing the USB Key to a second virtual machine manager of a second host where the USB Key is located, according to the stored association relationship, the second virtual machine manager configured to transmit an access request to the USB Key. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The computer system according to  claim 1 , wherein the association relationship is stored by using a USB Key configuration table, the USB Key configuration table comprising:
 a unique identification number for the USB Key to identify the USB Key in a case that a plurality of virtual machines are authenticated by using different USB Keys; 
 a list of virtual machines on a host which are using the USB Key to represent a set of unique identification codes for virtual machines which are being authenticated by using the USB Key; and 
 an identifier for a host where the USB Key is located to indicate the host where the USB Key is located. 
 
     
     
       3. The computer system according to  claim 2 , wherein the association relationship further comprises a maximum number of virtual machines for which the USB Key is allowed to be used. 
     
     
       4. The computer system according to  claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises:
 based on newly establishing a virtual machine in the first host, confirming whether the USB key has an excess authentication according to the unique identification number for the USB Key, the list of virtual machines which are using the USB Key, and the maximum number of virtual machines for which the USB Key is allowed to be used; and 
 based on having an excess authentication, adding a unique identification code for the newly established virtual machine to the list of virtual machines which are using the USB Key. 
 
     
     
       5. The computer system according to  claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises deleting one unique identification code for one virtual machine from the list of virtual machines which are using the USB Key of the USB Key configuration table based on the one virtual machine no longer being authenticated by using the USB Key. 
     
     
       6. The computer system according to  claim 1 , wherein based on one virtual machine on the first host being migrated to a third host and there being no relationship of sharing a USB Key between at least one virtual machine managed by a third virtual machine manager of the third host and the virtual machines managed by the first and the second virtual machine managers, establishing a relationship of sharing a USB Key between the one virtual machine managed by the third virtual machine manager of the third host and the virtual machines managed by the first and the second virtual machine managers. 
     
     
       7. The computer system according to  claim 6 , wherein the establishing the relationship of sharing the USB Key between the one virtual machine managed by the third virtual machine manager of the third host and the virtual machines managed by the first and the second virtual machine managers comprises, based on employing a global USB Key configuration table, synchronizing the global USB Key configuration table stored by the first virtual machine manager of the first host to the third virtual machine manager of the third host. 
     
     
       8. The computer system according to  claim 6 , wherein the establishing the relationship of sharing the USB Key between the one virtual machine managed by the third virtual machine manager of the third host and the virtual machines managed by the first and the second virtual machine managers comprises, based on employing a local USB Key configuration table, migrating a configuration correlated to the one virtual machine in the local USB Key configuration table stored by the first virtual machine manager of the first host to the third virtual machine manager of the third host. 
     
     
       9. The computer system according to  claim 1 , wherein the receiving, by the first virtual machine manager, the request for accessing the USB Key comprises receiving, by the first virtual machine manager, requests for accessing the USB Key from a plurality of virtual machines, queuing the plurality of requests, and processing them in turn. 
     
     
       10. The computer system according to  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of requests comprise request importance levels of virtual machines, and the plurality of requests are queued in accordance with the request importance levels of the virtual machines and processed in turn. 
     
     
       11. The computer system according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises, based on migrating one virtual machine to a newly provided host, adding a virtual machine manager to the newly provided host. 
     
     
       12. A method of sharing a USB Key by a plurality of virtual machines located at different hosts, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a first virtual machine manager located within a first host, a request for accessing a USB Key from a virtual machine within the first host, wherein an association relationship between at least one USB Key and one or more virtual machines authenticated by the at least one USB Key is stored in the first virtual machine manager; and 
 based on determining that the virtual machine requesting access to the USB key can access the USB Key, transmitting, by the first virtual machine manager, the request for accessing the USB Key to a second virtual machine manager of a second host where the USB Key is located, according to the stored association relationship, the second virtual machine manager configured to transmit an access request to the USB Key. 
 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the association relationship is stored by using a USB Key configuration table, the USB Key configuration table comprising:
 a unique identification number for the USB Key to identify the USB Key in a case that a plurality of virtual machines are authenticated by using different USB Keys; 
 a list of virtual machines on a host which are using the USB Key to represent a set of unique identification codes for virtual machines which are being authenticated by using the USB Key; and 
 an identifier for a host where the USB Key is located to indicate the host where the USB Key is located. 
 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 based on newly establishing a virtual machine in the first host, confirming whether the USB key has an excess authentication according to the unique identification number for the USB Key, the list of virtual machines which are using the USB Key, and a maximum number of virtual machines for which the USB Key is allowed to be used; and 
 based on having an excess authentication, adding a unique identification code for the newly established virtual machine to the list of virtual machines which are using the USB Key. 
 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein based on one virtual machine on the first host being migrated to a third host and there being no relationship of sharing a USB Key between at least one virtual machine managed by a third virtual machine manager of the third host and the virtual machines managed by the first and the second virtual machine managers, establishing a relationship of sharing a USB Key between the one virtual machine managed by the third virtual machine manager of the third host and the virtual machines managed by the first and the second virtual machine managers. 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising, based on migrating one virtual machine to a newly provided host, adding a virtual machine manager to the newly provided host. 
     
     
       17. A computer program product for sharing a USB Key by a plurality of virtual machines located at different hosts, the computer program product comprising:
 a non-transitory computer readable storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising:
 receiving, by a first virtual machine manager located within a first host, a request for accessing a USB Key from a virtual machine within the first host, wherein an association relationship between at least one USB Key and one or more virtual machines authenticated by the at least one USB Key is stored in the first virtual machine manager; and 
 based on determining that the virtual machine requesting access to the USB key can access the USB Key, transmitting, by the first virtual machine manager, the request for accessing the USB Key to a second virtual machine manager of a second host where the USB Key is located, according to the stored association relationship, the second virtual machine manager configured to transmit an access request to the USB Key. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The computer program product according to  claim 17 , wherein the association relationship is stored by using a USB Key configuration table, the USB Key configuration table comprising:
 a unique identification number for the USB Key to identify the USB Key in a case that a plurality of virtual machines are authenticated by using different USB Keys; 
 a list of virtual machines on a host which are using the USB Key to represent a set of unique identification codes for virtual machines which are being authenticated by using the USB Key; and 
 an identifier for a host where the USB Key is located to indicate the host where the USB Key is located. 
 
     
     
       19. The computer program product according to  claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises:
 based on newly establishing a virtual machine in the first host, confirming whether the USB key has an excess authentication according to the unique identification number for the USB Key, the list of virtual machines which are using the USB Key, and a maximum number of virtual machines for which the USB Key is allowed to be used; and 
 based on having an excess authentication, adding a unique identification code for the newly established virtual machine to the list of virtual machines which are using the USB Key. 
 
     
     
       20. The computer program product according to  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises, based on migrating one virtual machine to a newly provided host, adding a virtual machine manager to the newly provided host.